PSG, Juventus or Real Madrid? Where Paul Pogba will end up next season

FT Desk

• 12 Apr 2022 15:59 BST
• 5 min read

We’re now just a few months away from the end of the 2021/22 Premier League season and Manchester United fans still have no idea whether Paul Pogba will extend his contract with the club.

The France international has a deal that is set to expire in the summer and has been able to speak to other clubs since January.

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However, there has been no indication from the player or the club itself as to what Pogba’s plans are going forward.

Despite that, a number of clubs around Europe have been heavily linked with a move for the player in the coming months.

So will Pogba be enticed back into the fold and encouraged to sign a new deal, or could some of Europe’s biggest clubs lure him away from Manchester?

Manchester United

Amidst all the transfer rumours linking Pogba to every corner of the continent, there is also the very realistic prospect of the midfielder simply staying put next season.

With many of Europe’s biggest clubs either too skint to offer big contracts or the few remaining wealthy ones being stacked full of talent in his position, Pogba may instead decide that Old Trafford is exactly where he can play each week and challenge for major trophies.

The arrival of Ralf Rangnick will certainly do well to convince the France international that the club are very serious about challenging the best clubs in Europe for domestic and continental titles. And that may be enough to convince Pogba that Old Trafford is where his future lies.

In an interview with Sport1 in mid-December, the player's agent Mino Raiola confirmed that he had received an extension offer from the club and was considering all of his options.

Paris Saint-Germain

Throughout last summer's transfer window, Pogba was perhaps most often linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, due to the fact that they were one of the few clubs that were actually spending money.

A return to France would certainly make sense for Pogba since PSG can match his wages and ambitions of winning the Champions League, however one issue may be the fact that Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t really need another playmaker in his squad.

Whether the Argentine manager will be in charge next season is anyone's guess, but according to the Manchester Evening News, the French club have already made a move for Pogba and offered him a contract for next season.

Recent reports from FootMercato have also suggested that the player's agent has already discussed and agreed terms with the club.

Although PSG still have a huge amount of central midfielders, it seems certain that Gini Wijnaldum will depart this summer and others may follow, which could potentially leave plenty of space for Pogba to thrive.

Real Madrid

Another club that have been routinely linked with Pogba are Real Madrid, who could still prove to the most likely destination for the midfielder this summer.

Not only will Madrid have cash stored away after a summer fire sale, but they’ll also be in need of a new central midfield star that they can build their squad around once Luka Modric and Toni Kroos hang up their boots.

It’s easy to see how Pogba could be an ideal successor to either senior midfielder, but it remains to be seen whether Madrid have put all of their funding towards convincing Kylian Mbappe to make the move to Spain.

Similarly, Madrid did sign a midfielder last summer with a similar profile to Pogba in the form of Eduardo Camavinga.

Juventus

Few could doubt that Juventus have been rather blatant with their constant and rather public admiration for Pogba and the concept of bringing him back to Turin one day.

Add to that the player's very public hint at a possible return to Turin and it certainly seems as though Pogba is mulling over a second stint at Juventus.

However, unlike PSG and perhaps even Madrid, Juventus are still reeling from the last super star they signed to take them to the next level in Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to a Calciomercato, the club aren't willing to match Pogba's wage demands or entertain any lofty sign-on fee requirements from the player or his agent. As such, it seems as though the French midfielder would have to lower his salary by around €8m to join the club.

Similarly, the Old Lady are perfectly well stocked in midfield and have just signed Manuel Locatelli. It remains unlikely that they’ll push the boat out to try and entice Pogba back next summer.